Laundry treating apparatus



Aug. 18, 1942. H. P. NELLIGAN ET'AL 2,293,618

LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l E t al INVENT an s 0 HUWARD PA UL NELLIGAN CHARLES E. SCHEELE ATTORNEY Aug. 18, 1942.

H. P. NELLIGAN ET AL LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1941 INVENTEIRS r Haw/um PAUL NELLIBAN [Ii/HELL; L. 5511L ATP DRNEY 1942. H. P. NELLIGAN ET AL 2,293,618

LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2'7, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE NT mas Han Am PAUL NELLIGAIY HflHLES L7, EL'HEELE BY )9 Z TTDHHET Patented Aug. 18, 1942 LAUNDRY TREATING APPARATUS Howard Paul Nelligan and Charles C. Scheele,

Syracuse, N. Y., assignors to Easy Washing Machine Corporation, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 27, 1941, Serial No. 380,950

3 Claims.

Our invention is .concemed with an apparatus for sterilizing laundry in a washing machine.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide sterilizing means for treating the laundry in a washing machine comprising a source of ultra-violet rays and a source of heat, in combination with means for agitating the contents of the machine so as to bring all parts of the laundry into contact with the ultra-violet rays.

Another of the objects of our invention is to provide a sterilizing lamp in a washing machine in combination with a ballasting resistor which is adapted to heat the liquid contents of the machine.

Another object of our invention is to provide an insulating mounting for a sterilizing lamp in a washing machine so arranged as to avoid all possibility of conducting electric current to the body of the machine itself.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a mounting for a sterilizing lamp in a washing machine, which mounting is so constructed as to shield harmful rays from the eyes of the operator and concentrate saidrays on the contents of the washing machine.

Another object of our invention is to provide a guard for a sterilizing lamp in a washing machine to prevent the accidental breakage of said lamp.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent from reading the following specification in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, parts being broke away, showing the sterilizing lamp mounting.

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1, parts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-4 of Figure 2, showing the lamp in place within the mounting.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. a

Figure 5 is an exploded view showing how the wire guard is slipped over the socket member.

Figure 6 is an exploded view showing the parts of the lamp socket and supporting bracket.

Figure '7 is a perspective view showing the ,rubber mounting for supporting the socket in the washing machine casing.

Figure 8 is a schematic view showing the general location of the lamp and heating resistance in a conventional washing machLe and including the wiring diagram of the lanip and heater.

Figure 9 is a sectional view, parts being broken away, showing an alternate scheme for mount ing the lamp socket.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the insulating bushing used in Figure 9.

Referring now to the drawings, I0 is the tub of a conventional washing machine in which is mounted an oscillatable agitator II. In the preferred form the washing machine has an outer casing I2 indicated by the outer broken lines in Figure 8. The tub I0 is provided with an elongated aperture l3 located adjacent the upper edge thereof. I4 is secured in the aperture l3. The mount I4, best seen in Figure 7 is generally V-shaped in plan, one leg of the V having the elongated opening IS; the other leg of the V having a tubular shape as shown at IS. The opening I5 is surrounded by a flange I! which is separated by a groove I8 from a second flange l9, so that the construction is similar to the familiar rubber grommet which is a standard article of merchandise. The member II is secured in the tub opening l3 by forcing the flange I! through the opening l3 so that the edges of the aperture l3 engage in the groove IS: the member I being held in place by the cooperation of the flanges I1 and I8.

The lamp and guard mounting is constructed as follows: A cylindrical metallic sleeve 25 is mounted in the tubular opening l6 of the rubber mount ll. The sleeve 25 is provided with a circumferential ridge 21 for fixing its position with relation to the mount II. The outer portion of the sleeve 25 is provided with a longitudinal depression 25 for a purpose presently to be described. The sleeve 25 is secured in the mount ll with the groove 26 uppermost. A tubular insulating member 28 is inserted inside of the sleeve 25. A lamp socket 29 is mounted within the insulating member 28. The socket 29 is provided with an aperture 30 extending diametrically therethrough, adjacent the outer end thereof. A metal bracket 3| is secured to the socket 29 by means of the screw 32, which'is inserted in the aperture 30. Terminal connections 33 are provided at the outer end of the socket 29 for attaching the necessary electric wires.

The bracket 3! is secured to the tub ill by an insulating mount 35 which is constructed as follows: The end of the bracket 3! is provided with a pair of threaded apertures 36. The tub wall I0 is provided with a pair of apertures located to register with the apertures 36. A pair of hollow cylindrical insulating bushings are inserted in A rubber socket mounting the tub apertures to keep the screws 31 from contacting the tub wall. n the insid of the tub wall I0 is located an insulating member 38 to keep th head of the screw 31 out of contact with the inner wall of the tub. A similarinsulating member 39 is positioned on the outside of the tub wall l0 between the bracket 3| and the wall 10 to prevent electrical contact between the bracket and the tub wall. The screws 31 are tightened into threaded apertures 36.

The lamp guard 40 comprises a tubular metal portion 4| adapted to slide over the outer end of the member 25. A cylindrical wire mesh guard 42 is secured to the tubular portion 4! and extends outwardly beyond the end of the lamp 45. The end of the guard is strengthened and closed by means of the end cap 46 which is fastened to the wire mesh portion 42 by any suitable means, preferably by soldering or welding.

A sight guard 50 is provided, which in the pre-' ferred form comprises a cylindrical segment having ,the in-turned side portions 52 which rest against the wire mesh guard 42. The sight guard 50 is secured to the wire guard 42 by means of the thumb screw 53 located adjacent the socket end of the guard. A screw 54 and bushing 55 are located adjacent the free end of the guard to space the sight guard 50 from the wire guard 42. A bushing 56 is provided so that the screw 53 may be tightened without deforming the sight guard 52. The head 51 of the screw 53 projects inside of the portion 4] of the guard 46. In

assembling, the head 51 is slid into the groove 26 of the member 25, thus insuring that the ,s ght guard 50 is properly located over the lamp 45 so as to prevent ultra-violet rays from the lamp 45 reaching the eyes of the operator.

The lamp 45 is of'a special type adapted to emit .ultra-violet rays of germicidal nature. In this particular type of lamp, a ballast reactor or resistor is required for proper operation. I prefer to use a ballast resistor 63 in the form of a wire resistance unit which is fastened to the bottom of the washing receptacle as shown schematically in Figure 8. Thus the heat generated by the heat resistor 60 is utilized for heating the liquid contents of the tub l6.

The wiring, shown schematically in Figure 8, is as follows: Power leads El and 62 are connected to any suitable source of electric current and lead to the cord reel 63. Wire 64 connects to one side of the cord reel 63 and leads to the on-ofi switch 64 which is a conventional single pole, single throw switch. The other pole of the switch 64 is connected by means of lead 65 to lamp socket 29 and lead 65 to the washing machine motor 61. Lead from the cord reel 63 is connected to the washing machine motor 61 and also to one end of the ballast resistor 50 by means of lead 1|. The other end of the ballast resistor 60 is connected by mean of lead 12 to the lamp socket 29. It is thus seen that the lamp 45 and ballast resistor 60 are in series with of the washing fluid during the washing operation.

As the clothes are agitated in the washing machine tub, they are rolled over, forced to the assists in the sterilization of the clothes.

each other and in parallel with the washing machine motor 61.

When the switch 64" is closed, the current is fed to the washing machine motor 61 for oper-' heat given oil by the resistor 60 to the washing surface and drawn down again. As they rise to the surface, they are exposed to the ultra-violet rays emanating from the lamp 45 and treated to a sterilizing effect. The fact that the temperature of the washing machine fluid is maintained at between and Fahrenheit, likewise It is necessary that the clothes be agitated and brought to the surface and turned about so that the ultra-violet rays may be fully eflective in treating all parts of the material being washed. Thus, the stirring action of the agitator in rolling the clothes over and bringing them to the surface materially assists the action of the sterilizing lamp 45 and insures during the course of the washing operation that all parts of the material being washed will be exposed to the sterilizing efiect of the lamp.

In Figures 9 and 10 we have shown a modification of the insulating mount for the lamp socket 29 to provide a flexible instead of a rigid mount -for the lamp 45. In the preferred form this insulating member is constructed of rubber so that it acts not only as an electrical insulating member but a shock absorbing medium to insulate the lamp 45 from vibration and physical shock. In this modification, a tubular insulating member 18 is provided somewhat similar to the insulating member 28 shown in Figure 3. The insulating sleeve 18 comprises a cylindrical portion 19 having an inwardly extending flange 80 adjacent one end thereof. The opposite end of the member 18 is closed by the end 8| formed integrally therewith. The end or bottom is provided with a central aperture 82 to accommodate the wires leading to the socket 29. In assembling, the socket 29 is forced into the open end of the member 18 and the flange 86 secures it in place.

We claim:

1. In a washing machine having a tub for containing washing fluid and clothes to be washed, in combination, an electrically energized source of ultra-violet rays mounted in said tub and an electric resistance element mounted beneath said tub in series with said source of ultra-violet rays, said resistance element being arranged to act as a ballast for said source of ultra-violet rays and in addition supply heat to said washing fluid, whereby said clothesv are purified by said rays and said heat.

2. In a washing machine having a tub for containing washing fluid and clothes to be washed, in combination, a gaseous discharge tube adapted to emit ultra-violet rays, means for mounting said tube in said tub adjacent the upper edge thereof, an electric circuit for energizing said tube, a resistor connected in said circuit, said resistor being constructed and arranged to transmit heat to said tub, whereby said ultra-violet rays and said heat cooperate to sterilize the contents of said tub. A

3. In a washing machine having a tub for containing washing fluid and clothes to be washed, and means for agitating said fluid and clothes,

in combination, means for mounting in said tub a gaseous discharge tube having the characteristic of emitting ultra-violet rays, said means including an aperture located in the side or said tub, a substantially flexible insulating mounting secured in said aperture and projecting into said tub, a substantiallv cylindrical wire mesh guard mounted in said insulating mounting, an' insulating bushing in said guard, an electric socket mounted in said bushing and separate means for securing said socket to said tub.

HOWARD PAUL NELLIGAN. CHARLES C. SCHEIILE. 

